


If I Die Young

by authordean



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Hospital, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Long term illness, M/M, Medical Patient Gabriel, Medical Patient Sam, Prompt Fic, for a while
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2015-04-11
Packaged: 2018-03-21 14:38:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3696056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/authordean/pseuds/authordean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam's a long-term suffering of severe cystic fibrosis in desperate need of a lung transplant. Gabriel's a student who becomes part of his life just in time. Based on the song 'if i die young, the band perry'</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ribs

**Author's Note:**

> Anon Prompt: can ya write a sabriel based off the song if I die young by the band perry?

Gabriel Novak made a promise to himself the day he fell off his roof and broke three of his ribs, that never again would he put himself in a position where he could be hurt. He told himself that should he be dared to do some idiotic crap again, he’d refuse. He’d avoid confrontation. Anything not to feel this pain again. It was the worst pain he could ever imagine. The very worst pain he knew until Gabriel Novak, that very same day, met Sam Winchester.  

Gabriel met Sam as he’s waiting for an x-ray, sweat beading from his forehead and his hands clasped around the sheets of his cold bed.Twigs are still wound into his hair and his clothes are filthy from the bush he landed on, after hitting the tree on the way down. He’s very aware he looks like a boy who’s been making mud pies. 

Sam however looks like a God. His hair is curled around his ears in thick chocolate locks, his eyes are bright and shiny, his cheeks flushed and pink and he’s wearing street clothes but walking around with an oxygen tank and tubes through his nose. 

He walked with ease through the ward, smiling at a few nurses as Gabriel watched him, quickly forgetting about the pain in his chest. He wondered how high the doctor’s were right now, to think that such a beautiful creature could possibly have something wrong with him.

“Hey.” The kid said, suddenly turning to him, “Have you seen a guy walking around? Brown spiky hair, probably wearing a leather jacket with the collar turned up like he’s cool?” Talking seemed like too much effort for him, and he started coughing into a cloth. His coughs are wheezy and sound painful. 

He looks embarrassed and quickly goes to walk away when Gabriel looks clueless. “And here I hoped you’d come to visit me?” Gabriel jokes quickly, stopping the hottie from escaping. Even lying in a hospital bed, Gabriel would never pass up the chance to flirt with someone as cute as Sam. 

He’s rewarded with a soft laugh, “I’m Sam.” He introduces himself. 

“Gabriel.” He gestures to the bed, “I’d shake your hand but I’m slightly unable to.” 

Sam leans forward and knocks his shoes instead, “What happened?” 

Gabriel dramatically sighs, resting his hand on his head and throwing himself into the over-dramatic role, “I saw a beautiful boy and my heart stopped. What are you in for?” His chest is on fire, which is being put out with acid rather than water but the joke is worth it for a smile, complete with dimples from Sam. 

“You took my breath away.” He joshes back. 

Without being slightly subtle, Gabriel decides to keep questioning him, “So the boy you’re looking for- your boyfriend?” 

Sam rolls his eyes, in a typical teenager fashion, “Brother.” 

“You’re going home then? Being released?” Gabriel asks, his eyes falling to the tubes coming out Sam’s nose. Sam flops into the chair next to him. 

“Sorry, tired.” He coughs a little, breathing deeply into his tubes. “I’m just in for a checkup.” 

Gabriel’s nurse comes over, his scrubs covered in something smelling awful and he’s looking annoyed. “I’ll be with you in a second.” He notices Sam sat there, “Oh Sam, hello, Dean just checked into reception for you. Downstairs.” 

“Thanks, Fahad.” He thanks him, tucking the tank he’s pushing around next to the chair like it’s nothing. They sit in silence for a few seconds, or as silent as a hospital gets. 

“Your brother’s waiting.” Gabriel says, gently running his hands over the blankets on his bed, their artificial blue reminding him of bubblegum. Is the vibrant color supposed to cheer the patients up? 

He waiting for Sam to leave to get his brother, and when he didn't Gabriel settled back down, happy that the sexgod with wheels wasn't leaving. God, he's so tall that even sat down he's still as tall as Gabriel. You know what they say about tall men... Gabriel almost giggles at the thought. Perhaps the pain killers they gave him were stronger than he thought. 

"Aren't you going to leave?" Gabriel asked, hiding his smile from Sam. 

"I spend, like, 90% of my life here. One more minutes isn't going to make a difference." 

"Oh." Gabriel said, "Well, if you ever feel like spending some of that 10% having some fun, call me." 

Sam's eyes lit up as he tried- and failed- to look cool about this. "Are you asking me out?" 

Gabriel shrugged, then regretted it, "When you almost die, Sammish, you start to realize that life is short." He deepens his voice and winks. "Live while you can." 

They steal another minute of Sam's 10% writing down each other's numbers, promising to call each other and saying goodbye. Gabriel is wheeled off finally for his x-ray, Sam goes to find his older brother who's brought him coffee. 

"What'cha grinning about?" he asks, handing his brother the mug. It's so much nicer than the hospital crap. 

Sam considers lying but he's too excited to not share his news with his brother, "I have a date!" 

Dean looks unconvinced, "In a hospital? What's her name?" 

"Gabriel." Sam says. 

Dean chokes on his coffee. 


	2. Lungs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam's got a proposal for Gabriel that's not what he expected.

Sam patiently sits waiting at the coffee shop by his house, by the heat of the radiator. Deoxygenated skin is never hot. Dean insists on him wrapping up in three layers even in the summer since his hands turned blue and he ended up in hospital the first time he got too cold. Sam didn't even feel cold- not really. 

 

It's difficult to tell at his point how much of him is him and how much of him is his illness. His Dad told him that ' _he wishes Sam had never been cursed with this_ ' but Sam's unconvinced. That's like wishes Sam had never been born because most of who he is, is thanks to his time spend as a patient. For that, he's almost grateful. Yes, he has fewer years than some people get but he's gotten to meet people. Meet his friends. He'd never spend this much time with Dean if it weren't for dying, and all the things he'd seen or done would be erased. Most of it was funding by the Make-a-Wish Foundation and various other charities. 

 

The dripping of the coffee shop machine reminds him of the hospital and he flinches when yet another One Direction song comes on. Gabriel had better be worth it. Sam smiles when he spots the very same cute guy he met walking through the door. He text Gabriel to meet him here, and he's even early. Gabriel sees him and waves, a large grin plastered across his face. 

 

His hairs a gorgeous brown, his eyes are freaking golden (who has golden eyes?!) and in another life, another time, Sam hopes he would have snapped up a boy like this in a heartbeat. But he can't live a normal life, and that means he doesn't need a boyfriend. 

 

"Hey, how are the ribs?" Sam nervously waves back, quickly adjusting his tank so it's nearly out of site. The tubes hang from his nose awkwardly. Gabriel pulls out a chair and sits down across the table. 

 

"Hurting like a bitch. How's your...?" He trails off, uncertain of how to finish that sentence. They never did discuss the illness at the hospital. 

 

Sam's used to the avoidance of his pretty obvious illness, "Lungs. I have cystic fibrosis. It's a genetic condition of the lungs and digestive stuff that's pretty gross." 

 

"Oh." Gabriel says, "Is it serious?" 

 

"Yeah. I'm going to die." It's at that moment a bored waitress walks over asking if they want anything and not paying any attention to the stunned look on Gabriel's face. 

 

Gabriel say staring at Sam with his mouth open, eyes unblinking and waiting for an explanation. "I need a lung transplant. My lungs are failing, there's nothing else they can do for me. But I've been on the waiting list, it's unlikely I'm strong enough to survive the procedure and that's if I could get a pair of lungs. Soon I won't be able to breathe or get oxygen around to my body and I'll die." 

 

There's that awkward pause, the one that usually follows the upcoming death announcement, Sam assumes. It's best to leave this for a few minutes and let the news settle in. 

 

"Oh." Gabriel repeats, his foot shaking against the table of the cafe. The table is unstable and the hardwood floors echo the sounds of his nervousness to the few people at the cafe on a Tuesday afternoon. One wannabe writer, two friends catching up and a man sat reading the newspaper and looking every bit as happy as the headline. 

 

He's not telling Gabriel all this to unload, or to be rude or blunt or upset him. Truthfully, Sam's never liked the idea of therapy. As a terminal patient, he's been forced to see a couple and they're all the same. Each has a new cure for his depressing thoughts and negative feelings, but none have a solution to fix him. Talking to Dean about his death just upsets them both which is why he's here with Gabriel. 

 

"Look, I'm sorry you weren't expecting this. But honestly, I could use your help with something?" Gabriel large golden eyes glance up, and Sam smiles reassuringly. Staying positive is essential for this to work. 

 

"My brother and father both refuse to talk about dying with me. I don't want to leave unprepared. There's last wishes, a funeral to plan, sorting my things, drawing up a will and making sure I die knowing that my life has been tidied up and I've left no strings loose." 

 

"How does that involve me?" Gabriel's voice is thick and Sam's touched he manages to sound so sincere. The boy he's just met is dying. It's not exactly heartbreaking for him. People die all of the time, Sam knows this. The hospital patients he's met have died. A lot of them at least, which is why he wants to die prepared. With everything sorted and ready for his brother and Dad. 

 

"I need help. Someone to help me organised and sort things. It has to be a stranger because you won't get upset talking about my death. I can pay?"

 

He shakes his head, wishing he'd ordered a drink before so he would have something to do. His locks his fingers together, then unlocks them, desperately trying to focus on something other than his story. Christ, it's not like he expected much from a first date but this may set a record for the worst one in human history. 

 

"I don't want a payment. I'll help you." As the words fall from his mouth, he doesn't believe himself. It's rare he'll help someone out for no gain. Except maybe a friend. Sam actually seemed like a laugh at the hospital. 

 

"You are the greatest stranger anyone could ask for." He's rewarded again with that adorable smile and dimples. 

 

It's hard not to return the smile, "So what kind of help are you talking about? Obviously I have college and other things I can't exactly skip out on?" 

 

Sam shrugs, "Whenever you can help. I'm a little shy talking to people and it's going to require that? Plus I'll need you to help pass on a couple things once I'm gone? I have letters for my brother and family. Also if you could pretend to my brother and such that we're dating for an excuse to be out the house, that would be fantastic." 

 

"Talking's no problem for me." Gabriel's good at chatting to people, "And letters don't seem difficult to hand over. Being a free whore? Really Samish? As if I'd turn that sweet deal down." 

 

"Great!" Sam says so enthusiastically that it's shocking to even Gabriel that their topic of conversation could be anything this morbid, "I'll write up a list of things I have to get done and text you? If you won't accept a formal payment, I can at least pay for food." 

 

"Fine. I can cope with that. I'm still a badly paid hooker." 

 

"You're worth every penny." 

 

Gabriel laughs, dreading to find out exactly what he's just signed up for. 

**Author's Note:**

> find on tumblr at: http://onceuponasabriel.tumblr.com/post/115691155774/if-i-die-young


End file.
